Accounting machine



July 29, 1941. w. A. ANDERSON ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 EEEEEEEE m R om D N N mm W m w T M g MI-ETI R A... c n. m e 7 ,0

ATTORNEY July 29, 1941. w. A. ANDERSON 2,251,097

ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllll R s tr E INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON BY [W ATTORNEY Jul 29, 1941. w. A. ANDERSON ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTOF;NEY

Patented July 29, 1941 ACCOUNTING MACHINE Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June'29, 1938, Serial No. 216,462

1 Claim.

This invention relates to accounting machines, and more particularly to symbol printing mechanism therein. The present structure is shown applied to a machine of the type disclosed in United States Patents Nos. 1,583,102, 1,934,747, 1,946,505 and 1,965,611.

In Patent No. 1,946,505 mechanism is disclosed for printing a total symbol, but none is disclosed for printing a sub-total symbol, by which the sub-total may be distinguished from listed amounts. Since it has been found desirable to so distinguish the sub-totals, the present structure is provided for printing an appropriate sub-total symbol.

With this and incidental objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claim, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an accounting machine embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the keyboard,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic View of the upper portion of the symbol type bar,

Figure 4 is a right side elevation of the symbol printing mechanism for the total and sub-total keys, and

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing the total key in depressed position.

Machines of the character disclosed herein have a keyboard I (Figure 1) and a traveling paper carriage 2, provided with a roller platen 3 around which paper sheets are passed for receiving impressions from printing type 4. The machines may be driven by an electric motor 5 or by a crank (not shown).

The present mechanism is provided with a total key 6 (Figures 2, 4 and 5) and a Sub-total key 1 (Figures 2 and 4). When totals and subtotals are taken by the use of these keys, it is desired that some indication be printed on the paper beside the printed numbers to show that these amounts are totals or sub-totals as distinguished from listed amounts. To efiect this printing, the machine is provided with a type bar 8, mounted for vertical reciprocation, and carries type II and 12 to indicate sub-totals and totals, respectively. The details of construction and operation of type bar 8 are similar to symbol type bar 400 in Patent No. 1,946,505. For the purposes of the present disclosure it is sufficient to remember that the type bar is pulled upwardly by spring tension at the beginning of an operation, and is lowered to its normal position, shown in Figure 4, at the end of an operation. During ordinary listing operations of the machine and during operations with sub-total key 1 depressed, the type bar rises until a shoulder IS on its lower end engages a surface 14 on a lever 15 pivoted on'a rod [6. This rise is suiiicient to place type II at the printing point.

During total taking operations the total key is depressed to the position shown in Figure 5. This causes a plate 11, secured to the total key and having an offset flange l8 lying above an arm 21 pivoted on a rod 22, to lower arm 2| against the tension of a spring 23 connected to an arm 24 connected with arm 21. This movement raises an arm 25 secured to arm 21 and having a cam surface 26 on its rear end. This in turn causes surface 25 to engage a roller 21 on lever 15 and swing the lever a short distance to the rear against the tension of a spring 28.

This swinging movement of lever I5 is just sufiicient to place a surface 3| on lever [5 above shoulder l3. Now, upon operation of the machine, type bar 8 rises to its position shown in Figure 5, where the total symbol lies in printing position.

To impel the type against the work sheet a hammer mechanism similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1,946,505 is provided. Briefly, the hammer mechanism for the symbol type includes a hammer 32 pivoted on a rod 33 and impelled toward the type by a spring 34. When the hammer is released by the customary hammer catch 35, it is free to strike the type unless a latch 36, pivoted on a rod 31', is lowered so that a surface 38 thereof is above a stud 4| secured to hammer 32, in which event hammer 32 is restrained from effecting an impression during that operation. Movement of latch 36 is efiected by a spring 39, under control of rearward and forward movement of a rod 45. In the present mechanism it is desirable to employ latch 36 to allow printing of the total and sub-total symbols during total and sub-total operations, but to prevent the printing of these symbols during accumulating operations.

Referring to Figure 4, flange l8, connected with the total key, and a stud 42 on the stem of the sub-total key both lie above the horizontal arm of a bell crank 43 pivoted at 44. A link 45 is connected to bell crank 43 and is guided for forward and rearward movement in the machine.

the tension of a spring 52, inferior to spring 46,

only in the event that a blank cycle has just been taken and no amount keys have been indexed prior to depression of the total. or sub-total key.

The mechanism for so controlling, frame-48 is;

fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,583,102.

A lever 53 is pivoted at 54 and has its upper end turned over at 55 to cooperate with a recess.

56 in latch 36. By this construction, when either the total or sub-total key is depressed, and a blank cycle has just been taken, lever 53 is moved to its position shown in Figure 5 where, its upper end lies within recess 56 to hold latch 36 in its upper ineffective position. When held in ,this position, hammer 32 may fire at the appropriate time to print the total or sub-total symbol.

A catch 51 (Figure 4) is associated with the stem of sub-total key I to lock this key in depressed position, so that after items are listed and a blank cycle taken, the next cycle of the machine takes a sub-total automatically. This mechanism is fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,934,747,

When the machine is used with the sub-total key locked in depressed position, link remains forward at all times. Frame 48, however, will not move forward to allow hammer 32 to fire until during the sub-total cycle because of the above described characteristic of frame 48 to not move forward until after a blank cycle is taken. This prevents a printing of the sub-total symbol during accumulating operations, even though sub-total key 1 is locked in depressed position.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

-What is claimed is:

In a machine of the class described, a total key, a sub-total key, a movable symbol type bar, connections from one of the total keys for controlling the extent of movement of the bar, means to print from the type bar, a latch to render the printing means ineffective, a mechanism moved to a predetermined position only after the machine has executed. a blank cycle, connections from the mechanism to the total and sub-total keys to prevent such movement unless one'of the total keys is depressed, and a connection between the latch and the said mechanism to render the latch ineffective upon movement of the said mechanism.

WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

